A Resurgence of the 2009 Cincinnati Bengals

The 2008 football season was a disheartening one for the Cincinnati Bengals. A 4-11-1 finish was very disappointing to say the least, and largely resulted from the absence of star quarterback Carson Palmer, who missed virtually the entire year due to injury.

Carson Palmer was out the majority of the year with an injury - with his departure the Bengals sunk fast. Chad Ocho Cinco became an average wide receiver and faded away as the season continued to move forward.

Ryan Fitzpatrick did his best, but his skills were nowhere near that of Palmer's, and the offense struggled greatly for it. This wasn't much of a surprise considering his lack of NFL experience.

Chris Henry is making a name for himself in a Bengals jersey, so the loss of T.J. may not seem as bad as Bengals fans would think.

The only potential bright spot was the emergence of Cedric Benson over the course of the last few games, but even this was a question mark, as Benson had never really been effective before this.

While a division title may be a stretch, those who watch the NFL know that season to season teams change for the better or worse - what you did a season ago doesn't really matter. For example, take the Miami Dolphins 1-15 in 07', 11-5 in 08' winning the AFC East Division.

If the Bengals defense can stay in the middle of the league and not give up too many points - with the Bengals offense - they can compete in every game during the season.

Chad Johnson looked like the Ocho Cinco of old, and the Bengals pulled off a win under very difficult circumstances. Maybe a new era is upon is in Cincinnati, as this season looks to be more hopeful than 2008.

Check out the free Bengals chat s at RootZoo Sports. With the NBA season tipping off, make sure to play their NBA pick 'em game.